CUT! Miami Losing Its Film Credit
Films are choosing small towns in Georgia instead of Miami backdrops
Broken Lizard
Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile) stars as "Slammin'" Cleon Salmon, a former heavy weight champ who opens The Slammin' Salmon and brings terror to the hearts of his waitstaff.
There was a time when big time movies, TV shows, and commercial shoots would practically fight each other for prime times and locations to film in the Miami area. Those days are gone.
"In the heyday of the film and television business here, we were estimating that about $200 million a year was coming into Miami-Dade county's economy, now it's about a $100 million," says Jeff Peel, who runs the Miami-Dade County Film Office.
Scarface, Bad Boys, True Lies, Ace Ventura, Miami Vice, There's Something About Mary and Deja Vu lead a favorites list of movies that filmed primarily in the Magic City.
Now, we'd be lucky to have a commercial shot on Ocean Drive.
Peel says Florida used to provide $25 million a year to lure productions here, but the Legislature cut that to $10 million, which is about ten-times less than competing states spend.
"The fact of the matter is we're really worried, " Peel says. "Not only do we not have the films coming, but the guys down here who work on films, the little companies who support the industry, start to run out of business, move to other states, and once we lose that infrastructure we're in real trouble here."
The tragedy, Peel says, is that right now, South Florida really needs the stimulus Hollywood provides.
He points out that for every dollar they give a movie company to film here, the economy gets back seven dollars. They spend money hiring people, eating in our restaurants, staying in our hotels. And when the product is done, the audience gets a dose of Miami, usually looking sleek and sexy.
It's free tourist advertising.
The state legislature has a chance to add some money into the pot to save the local film industry.
If they don't, it's a wrap.
Posted Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 - 7:37 PM EST
